The Federal Election Commission announced yesterday that it would revise its regulations to account for the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Wisconsin Right to Life case to exempt genuine issue ads from regulation under the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law. The FEC’s move is intended to make its rules clearer "in time for the Presidential primaries and caucuses in early 2008."

An important aspect of all this is the regulation of speech, under the guise of campaign reform, that criticizes or lobbies politicians for their policy views during an election campaign, but falls short of express advocacy of the election or defeat of a candidate. In California, the FPPC maintains a broadrule that extends regulation of communications beyond those containing just explicit words of express advocacy. That rule was enjoined in a court challenge as applied to initiative campaigns, but it still exists with respect to candidate elections. The FPPC ought to consider revising its rule consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, and add an explicit rule protecting "genuine issue ads" from regulation.… Read More

The California State Assembly voted last night for the 2007-2008 State Budget, an approximately $105 Billion budget; I voted for it. The budget wasn’t pretty, but it never is. Hence the blues. The simple truth is, a compromise document of any sort will be riddled with give-aways and demands. In this instance, I believe the budget, as imperfect as any compromise budget can be, was probably one of the best deals we’ve seen in California in some time. Let me tell you why:

The Budget contains a remarkable tax credit package the likes of which Assembly Republicans haven’t seen in a decade. This package of tax credits will run for five years and will be evaluated during the fourth year to determine if they have, like Republicans have always charged, resulted in increased revenues to the State. This package will benefit California industries and promote new jobs and better wages. This is a clear win for California.

The Budget will ensure that the State’s monolithic structural deficit will be reduced next year, a feat that many didn’t think possible in light of the autopilot budget features that the State is strapped with.… Read More

Night owls, the Assembly is going through the labor-intensive process of a ton of trailer bills to the main budget bill. The budget currently has 55 votes on the big board, one more than it needs to pass. But it is still "on call" which means that votes can change. This is done because the ‘deal’ will involve achieving 54 votes on all of these trailer bills, and you wouldn’t want to close the final budget vote until you pass the trailer bills concurrently. Once the trailers have all passed, and they lock int he final budget vote, we will bring you the intel on which GOPers voted for it. **Update 12:35am. A slight drama is playing out right now. Among the plethora of trailer bills is the health trailer bill, in which is funded, among many other things, an aweful lot of public funds for abortions. Like all trailer bills, it requires 54 votes. Right now, there are only 51 votes for it. … Read More

An update for the night-owls, the Assembly Republican Caucus is now meeting and legislators are ‘locked in’ which means there is likely a budget vote immenent. We’ll see what happens..… Read More

I guess the subtitle on this one should be ‘Yeah I Know It’s A Self Serving Post’ but Fletcher is really burning it up finance-wise and shouldn’t not get posted because of his affiliation with me. I’m also not so good with changing font sizes on this thing so bare with me…

NATHAN FLETCHER RAISES $350,000

FOR STATE ASSEMBLY CAMPAIGN

Over $300,000 COH from Strong Grassroots Support

SAN DIEGO – State Assembly candidate Nathan Fletcher (R-San Diego) today released… Read More

It all began with a palm-tree caper – now the trustees of MiraCosta College have bestowed a lavish “prize package” on the outgoing president that seems more fitting of a television game show.

According to the San Diego Union Tribune (June 21, 2007), the MiraCosta College President’s “departure ends a year of turmoil that began in May 2006, when she announced an investigation into the illegal sale of palm trees from the campus’s Horticulture Department. Three months earlier, the college had authorized its lawyers to hire a private investigator to look into a whistle-blower’s allegations. The investigation centered on allegations that a college administrator and her fiance had struck a deal to nurture and sell thousands of palm trees donated to the college. Estimates of the investigation’s cost have ranged from $200,000 to $1 million.” The results were “underwhelming… conviction of a former administrator for felony grand theft involving $306.”… Read More

This just came over from State Senator Tom McClintock, pardon any odd formatting as I am posting it up from my Blackberry….

ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS COLLAPSING ON BUDGET TONIGHT! THE VOTE IS SCHEDULED FOR 8:15 PM TONIGHT. PLEASE CONTACT ASSEMBLY AND SENATE REPUBLICAN OFFICES AND DEMAND THAT THEY HOLD FIRM FOR A BALANCED BUDGET. The Assembly is convening tonight to adopt another seriously out-of-balance state budget (SB 77). Worse, it sets in motion obligations that will cause a catastrophic shortfall for the following year. And worst of all, it plans on continuing the process of “escheat,” in which the state controller loots safe deposit boxes, retirement and college funds – any assets that are idle for just three years – to deposit in the general fund. Even though a federal court has ordered them temporarily to halt this practice, they are still counting on resuming it – or having taxpayers pick up the difference. Because it takes a 2/3 vote to adopt the budget, Republicans can hold firm to demand what they promised California – a state government that lives within its means. If this budget is adopted as it now stands, it will be due entirely to… Read More

For those legislators thinking about voting for the 2007 – 2008 budget, I could spent a lot of time listing out programs in it that simply represent the worst of centralized state planning and control.

But today I was made aware of what would have to be the worst "poison pill" of the whole bunch.

In the budget is an increase of $18.9 million in funds from the General Fund for the "Medi-Cal Minor Consent Program." This money, and I am dead serious here, is to fund abortion services for the minor children of illegal aliens. The program specifically PROHIBITS contacting parents for consent, and has never asked for verification of citizenship.

As a matter of fact, this is not a new program, but the cost of it is shifting to the state because new federal guidelines require proof of citizenship.

So as you cast a budget vote, you are funding what we are called the "Trifecta" (no documentation, no notification, for abortion). I just couldn’t cast that vote. Just the thought of the program existing, quite frankly, makes me nauseous.… Read More